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Revision as of 03:55, 12 August 2007
Strong Bad is a primary character in the fictional world of Flash animation cartoon series Homestar Runner. He is best known for his "Strong Bad Emails", or "Sbemails", in which he is shown typing answers to questions written by visitors to the site on his personal computer. Modelled after a Mexican wrestler character featured in Nintendo's Tag Team Wrestling, he is shirtless with boxing gloves for hands (though a running gag on the website claims that he originally had oven mitts) and a luchador's wrestling mask for a face.
Though originally presented as a villain, Strong Bad has been favorably embraced by pop culture for his quick-witted sarcasm and infectiously abrasive voice. He is usually seen as the most popular character, although some fans object to the frequency with which he appears in comparison to other characters. His voice has changed over time from a distinctly Mexican accent to a more gruff American one, while still retaining its "rough" quality. His eyes have also become steadily smaller. He is also sometimes referred to (usually by Homestar) as a "wrestleman".
Origin
The "Strong Bad Emails" began as a small feature in 2001, in which Strong Bad would mock the spelling and grammar of those who wrote to him, usually while using an outdated computer. Although the animations were initially brief, they gradually grew to establish numerous catchphrases and running gags, as well as spin-offs like Trogdor the Burninator, Teen Girl Squad, and even characters like Homsar and Senor Cardgage. A typical Strong Bad email will also include numerous Easter eggs and other hidden material. An example of a Strong Bad Email reply is his take on techno, where he creates the techno song "The System Is Down." His most used catchphrase is "Holy Crap!" and other variations on this theme, though he now parodies even this in his responses to emails.
Along with his physically intimidating but mentally limited big brother Strong Mad and his lackey animal-of-questionable-species The Cheat, Strong Bad represents the self-proclaimed criminal element in the series. Many shorts concern the various practical jokes and scams that they perpetrate. Although these "crimes" are usually only slightly malevolent, Strong Bad still acts as if he is a villainous mastermind, and is highly prone to exaggerating his alluring qualities — especially with regards to women. He enjoys "cold ones" (or beer), although we never see him drinking on the website. In one email, it was revealed he had the ability to remove caps by making the blue 'jewel' on his mask glow with intense concentration. He demonstrated this ability by removing the cap from a cold one, and by repeatedly removing Homestar's cap.[1]
Strong Bad debuted in an early children's book project called "The Homestar Runner Enters the Strongest Man In the World Contest". This story (which is viewable at the website "museum section"[1], also as an anniversary remake[2]) introduces the totally safe and child-friendly world created by the Chapman Brothers. The somewhat subversive nature of the humour of Strong Bad and the world view of Homestar seems to always lean towards the provocative without endangering the worldview of children. Apart from making it a "safe" place for kids, it also appeals to the adults who enjoy a less-than-threatening expression of the personality types around us. Strong Bad is the bad guy in a not-very bad world.[2]
Strong Bad has his own version of the website's main pages, which can only be reached through the Homestar Talker game.
Strong Bad is known to be in possesion of a lighter with a BMW logo on it. He uses it to burn stuff he doesnt like, such as Strong Sad's drawing of a dragon because it was better than Trogdor. A catchphrase for it was invented when he received a bill from Bubs, he said, "Would you like a ride in my BMW?" he pulled out his lighter and burned the bill.
Alternate versions
1936 (Old-Timey Strong Bad)
The 1936 form of Strong Bad is sometimes referred to as Sir Strong Bad (or Uncle Strong Bad). He appears in black and white and has hair and a handlebar moustache. His face is less detailed and he has no visible mouth but his moustache moves when he talks. He speaks with a late 19th-century American pseudo-English accent, and he is accompanied by The Cheat's 1936 form, known as The Sneak and resembling a rodent or rat-like animal.
20X6 (Stinkoman)
Stinkoman, a futuristic anime-style Strong Bad, has no thumbs, big robot boots, a mouth that is tiny when closed but "ridiculously huge" when open, blue hair, and big green eyes. The "real" Strong Bad designed this character in the e-mail "Japanese Cartoon", when someone asked what he would look like as a Japanese cartoon. The name "Stinkoman" comes from an earlier email (number 52, "Island"), where Strong Bad was called that name by Homestar Runner. His primary interests are "Challenge and fighting and fighting that challenge." He has his own game. This version of Strong Bad was clearly modeled after Mega Man (aka Rockman in Japan) and Astroboy.
The use of the year 20X6 (pronounced "twenty extee six") is also a reference to the Mega Man games that were often set in the year 20XX or Metroid which took place in 20X5, and maybe also to the cartoon series Thunderbirds 2086. The Stinkoman K theme music is a MIDI theme borrowed from the Nintendo Entertainment System video game "Rad Racer."
Senor Cardgage
Senor Cardgage is what Strong Bad said he would look like if he was an "ugly, dumpy old guy with a beer belly and a comb-over, instead of the stylish, buff, handsome man in a wrestling mask [he is]" in response to an email, But unlike his usual alternate variations, Senor Cardgage actually existed and lived across the street from Strong Bad, giving him an idol to worship.
Vocabulary
Strong Bad has a fairly large vocabulary. Many of the words he uses are far above what most would expect him to be capable of (the same can be said for his grammar). Yet, Strong Bad seems to have a knack for creating nonexistent words that make sense, mostly because of the root words they are derived from. Examples of these words include: 'extracurriculariffic, fangoriously, geographist', and maybe the most famous: burninator (and variants).
Strong Badia
Strong Badia is an independent "kingdom" that Strong Bad claims to rule over. It consists of a barren field, a fence (with a pop-up bear holding a shark behind it), a tire, and a stop sign reading "Pop: Tire" (Pop meaning population) leaning against a cinder block. Strong Bad said he bought the property from Bubs in one email[3], although he originally said he ruled it since "diaper school"[4]. It was once haunted by the ghost of the "Tandy 400", Strong Bad's former computer.
Computers
Strong Bad has owned several computers, and while each is superior to the last, they remain horribly dated in contrast to current technology. His first computer, the "Tandy 400", featured the classic "green-and-black" monochrome monitor and displayed little to no graphics. The Tandy's logo resembled the classic Apple Computer logo, except the Tandy's was in the shape of a star. It eventually exploded in Strong Bad's face, at which point he asked to "borrow" $900 from Strong Sad to fix it, even though according to Strong Sad he could get a computer like Strong Bad's at a garage sale for $15. He managed to duct tape the computer back together, but after it malfunctioned and deleted an e-mail from a girl who seemed to be genuinely interested in him, and at the same time saved an e-mail that he did not want, the Tandy was unceremoniously dumped a few weeks later. It was bought by The King of Town, who complained that this was the last time he would buy a used computer from Bubs. The ghost of this computer at one point came back to haunt him.
His next computer, "Compy 386", boasted improved graphics and sound but remained behind the times. The Compy later proved to be overloaded with computer viruses - indeed when Strong Bad runs his virus scan (after it informs him "Last scan was NEVER ago"), it turns out to be infected with 423,827 viruses, which leaked from the computer (Computer Over. Virus = Very Yes.) and began altering the site's Flash-animated reality. Bubs managed to restore normality to the Homestar Runner universe by shooting the Compy with a shotgun, much to the distress of Strong Bad, who had apparently grown quite attached to the Compy (who even said "You killed my brother! ...I mean, computer!"). In an older version of the Strong Bad Email menu, Bubs sells the "LIKE USED", "SLIGHTLY SHOTGUNNED" computer to Homestar Runner, though he appears to think it is a low cost automobile.
Strong Bad eventually moved on, and picked up another new computer, this one a bulky, old-fashioned laptop called the "Lappy 486". Trumping both previous computers in processing power, the Lappy still ran without the aid of a graphical user interface, weighed an allegedly "portable" 42 lbs., "featured an impressive battery life lasting one half of ten minutes" and had a mere two Megabyte hard drive. However, a throwaway reference in the "Lappy-napped" story arc (see below) mentioned that Strong Bad had a lot of 'important text files on that 5 Meg hard drive', implying either an upgrade or a retcon of the Lappy's specs.
In September 2006, the Lappy was "Lappy-napped," in a story arc of sorts. It was later revealed that the Tandy and Compy stole it and would only return it if they each got to check one last e-mail each. Strong Bad complied, but destroyed his old computers in the process. He had Homestar destroy the Tandy 400 by pouring Mountain Dew and the King of Town's denture tablets (read as 'after-dinner mints' in his case) into it, which made it explode after Strong Bad jammed a pickaxe into its keyboard (A likely reference/parody of the Mentos eruption). Strong Bad then fed the Compy 386 to Strong Mad.
However, in several emails, Strong Bad is seen using other computers. One of them was The Cheat's computer, a tangerine-colored third-generation iMac nicknamed "Tangerine Dream". Strong Bad complains that it "has too much computer in it and not enough typewriter", because the computer forces him to click, instead of typing, to open his e-mail client. In another, Strong Bad asks Pom Pom if he can use his Pom Pilot (a pun on the Palm Pilot) to check an e-mail while they are at the Stick. In yet another, Strong Bad uses a computer named "Block" to answer an email from Poland. And, more recently, he used the "Corpy NT-6" to check an email from his 'job' of sorts (which he had to use The Cheat's software to get around a firewall that prevented him from checking the e-mail, as well as an obvious pun on the "Compy" and "Lappy" ranges that Strong Bad uses at home and a reference to the then-recently released Windows Vista, which itself is Windows NT 6.0.). In another email, The Cheat has a 5th generation iMac (possibly replacing his old one), which Strong Bad claims is worthless because the back is chopped off (flat-panel, flat-screen monitor) and the mouse is nothing but a "plastic bar of soap" (wireless, one-button optical mouse).
Another computer-related running gag was The Paper, which came out of an old dot matrix printer. The Paper usually had printed on it Strong Bad's email address. It appears to be sentient, as it could talk with Strong Bad on some occasions. However, as foretold in the SBEmail "montage", in email #173, The Paper eventually malfunctioned and was replaced with a new inkjet printer, much to Strong Bad's disdain.
References
- ^ Chapman, Matt (2003). "Strong Bad Email 25 "super powers"" (SWF). homestarrunner.com. Retrieved 2007-01-05.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help) - ^ Chapman, Matt (2003). "Strong Bad Is A Bad Guy" (SWF). homestarrunner.com. Retrieved 2007-01-05.
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